Oaeteidge loading machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. W. AN-NIN.

CARTRIDGE-LOADING MACHINE. No. 302,082. Patented July 15, 1884.

y; 0 Q C) Q o ATTORNEYS.

-(No Model.) 2 SheetsShee t 2.

B. W. ANNIN.

CARTRIDGE LOADING MACHINE.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

LBRYANT WVARD ANN IN, OF HANNIBAL, MISSOURI.

CARTRIDGE -LOADING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Letters Patent No. 302,082, dated July 15, 1884.

Application filed November l2, 1883. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRYANT WARD ANNIN, of Hannibal, in the county of Marion and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Cartridge-Loader, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention consists of a machine for loading cartridges, comprising the following elements: a holding-disk provided with a series of apertures for holding the cartridgeshells in upright position, an adjustable loading-gage containing receptacles for ammunition, corresponding to the apertures in the holder, said gage being adapted to fit upon the holder and discharge the contents of the receptacles into the shells in the holder, a device attached to the gage for effecting the discharge of the ammunition therefrom into the shells, a-movable canister adapted to fit upon the gage, said canister being provided with a discharging device and apertures corresponding to the receptacles of the loader, and a rammer device pro vided with ramming-plugs corresponding to the number of shells to be filled, said rammer and the cartridgeloader being provided with a device forworking the rammer and pressing the plugs into the mouths of the shells after they are charged with ammunition, all being contrived in a simple arrangement for enabling a large number of shells to be loaded simultaneously and expeditiously, as hereinafter fully described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

. Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved machine and a section of the table on which it stands, showing the apparatus adjusted for loading the shells. Fig. v2 is a central sectional elevation of the loader and a side eleva-' tion of the ramming device. Fig. 3 is a side elevation and a section of the table, showing the operation of the ramming device, the canister and loading-gage being removed. Fig. 4 is aplan View of the holder for the cartridges, andshowing the ramming device turned back and raised off the holder, as for applying the loadinggage and canister. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the loading-gage. Fig. 6 is a plan View, on a smaller scale, of the canister with the table, the holder being gaged by the earlugs 12 of the holder on the posts a of the table.

D represents the loading-gage, having receptacles for the ammunition, and E the canister for loading the shells by delivering the ammunition from the canister into, the receptacles of the loading-gage for measuring the charges and discharging the charges from said receptacles into the shells. The disk G of this gage has apertures a, forming said receptacles, and corresponding with those of the shell-holder l3, and they are made extensible for varying the amount of the charges by means of the tubes 0, attached to the metal disk H, and entering the apertures a" of disk G. Beveled plates (1 are attached to disk H to raise and lower said disk H by the movement of the stud-pins e of the ring f, which ring f is fitted to the disk G, to be shifted forward and backward by the handle g, which may be turned to the right hand to allow disk H to descend and contract the charging-receptacles by allowing tubes 0 to descend into the apertures of disk G, and may be turned to the left hand to raise said tubes, and extend the receptacles. A graduated scale, h, with ratchet-notches h in the upper edge, is attached to the disk G, and astop-pawl, Z, is arranged on the ring f, by which to set the receptacles for any desired size of charge. A guide, m, is attached to the periphery of the disk G below the ring f, and next to handle g, and arranged with relation to the plates (1, suitably for resisting the forward thrust of the stud-pins c, and that plate (Z which moves in the guide at has a stop, n, below the arm 0 of said guide m, to limit the rise of the tube bythe said inclined plates (1 and the stud-pins c of the shifting ring f. These inclined plates (2 confine the disk H on the disk G of the loader by projecting down over the peripheryof said disk, and fitting closely thereto. The disk G of the loader D has projecting ear-lugs j, by which it rests on the points of the posts p of table A, to be supported thereby over the shellthe receptacles to let the charges fall into the shells after being filled.

For convenience of loadinga smaller number of cartridges than the whole number provided for, the disk is divided into two sections, as indicated by the dotted lines 8 Fig. 5, and each section is provided with a handle,

.l,"SO that part of the receptacles may remain closed, while the others may be opened for loading a number of shells corresponding to the number of receptacles controlled by one section of the gate. The stop-pins s in the bottom of the disk G limit the movements of the handles 1" for closing the receptacles.

The canister consists of a case, E, of sheet metal, adapted to be set over the disk H, so as to rise and fall with it, and having apertures in the bottom corresponding with the apertures in said disk, together with a gate, it, over the bottom to open and close said apertures by turning on a central pivot, said gate having corresponding apertures, and, like the gate of the loader, it is made in two sections,to be worked separately when required, each section having. a handle, a, for turning it. Guardplates t are fixed upon the handle it, to fit over and close the slots in which the said handles move. The canister is also provided with a couple of stud pins, 1:, which drop into notches '0 of a couple of the plates, d, to insure the proper relation of its apertures with those of disk H. The canister has aremovable cover, I, for opening it, when required, for putting in the ammunition, and in the bottom a cone, w, is placed to fill the central space and effect more complete discharge of the contents. Two such canisters will be used when loading with powder and shot-one for each material. When the shells have been charged with powder from the canister E, said canister and the loader'are to be removed and wads are to be placed in the shells, to be rammed in them by the rammers 0, attached to the disk 0, which is supported on two of the posts p by a couple of stop-hinges, d, having sockets c, and placed below the ear-lugs j and above the springs on said posts. Said hinges may have jointed stays f, but are preferably provided with lugs 20 by which the rammer-disk G is supported on the hinges d in the'raised position, as represented in Fig.2, while the canister and the loader are in position. That end of the hinge d which is attached to the rammer-disk O is provided with a curved piece, o having slots to, enlarged at one end to receive the headed pins as of the disk, by.

which the hinges are secured to said disk, by which construction rammer-disks fitted with rammers of different sizes for shells of difi'erent numbers maybe applied to the loader, all

the different parts of which loader may be also correspondingly fitted for shells of different sizes. This rammer swings down over the shells, its ear-lugs g droppingon the other two of the four posts p, which, with the posts holding the sockets e of the hinges, form guides to insure the rammers entering the shells properly. The lever i, being then pressed down, forces the rammer down by the hooks j to ram the wads into the shells. The hooks j extend down through the plates 7 attached to the table, and also through said table to the spider or cross-head l, fittedon the guide-stud m by the sleeve at, having pins of, whereby to be worked by the lever i. The hooks j are pivoted at o to the cross-head, and have a spring, 0, to disconnect them from the rammer when the lever rises. They are caused to swing forward and engage the rammer when the lever 13 is pressed down by the inclines j" of said hooks acting on the slotted plates 70, through which the hooks pass. springs k on the posts raise the rammer up again on said posts 1), to permit it to be swung up on the hinges, to allow the loader. and the shot-canister to be put on for charging the shells with shot in the same manner as above described with powder, after which the shot canister and loader are again removed, and wads are applied to the shells above the shot and seated by the rammer, as before, above the powder.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A mechanism for loading cartridge-shells containing the following elements, namely: a holder provided with a series of apertures for holding the cartridge-shells in uprightposition, an adjustable loading gage containing receptacles for ammunition corresponding to the apertures in the holder, said gage being adapted to fit upon the holder and discharge the conteni S of the receptacles into the shellsin the holder, a device attached to the gage for effecting the discharge of the ammunition therefrom into the shells, a movable canister adapted to fit upon the gage, said canister being provided with'a discharging device and apertures cor- The responding to the receptacles of the loader,

and having a disk provided with a ratchet engaged by a pawl, said gage being adapted to fit upon the holder and discharge the contents of the receptacles into the shells in the holder,

a device attached to the gage for effecting the discharge of ammunition therefrom into the shells, and a movable canister adapted to fit upon the gage, said canister being provided with a discharging device, and apertures corresponding to the receptacles of the loader, all substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination, in a cartridge-loading mechanism, of a holder provided with a series of apertures for holding the cartridge-shells in upright position, a gage having a disk provided with a series of apertures, said holder and gage having ear-lugs arranged upon posts of the table, and a ramming device provided with ramming-plugs corresponding with the apertures for holding the shells, said rammcr and the cartridge-holder being provided with a device for working the rammer and pressing the plugs into the mouths of the shells after they are charged with ammunition, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. In a cartridge-loader, a gage having a disk provided with apertures, and having a guide-stop provided with warm, and a plate adjustably arranged upon the disk, and having inclinefedged plates provided with a projection below the aforesaid arm, said plate carrying tubes corresponding in number and position with the apertures in the disk, and entering within the same, substantially as de-. scribed.

5. The loading-gage D, having adjustable receptacles for ammunition, a device for dis:

\ apertures,

charging the contents of the receptacles into the shells, and ear-lugs j,-in combination with the cartridge-holder B, having apertures for the shells andear-lugs b, said loading-gage and cartridge-holder being arranged on the table A by supporting guidingposts a and 1), substantially as herein shown and described.

6. The adjustable loading-gage D, consisting of disk G, having apertures a, disk H, provided with the tubes 0, extending into said the adjusting-ring f, having studs 0 and handle 9, the inclined plates (1, attached to the disk H, one of said plates having a stop, at, below the arm 0 of one of the guidestops m, connected to the disk G of the gage, and

the apertured discharging-gate q, all combined and arranged substantially as described.

7. The combination of an apertured dis eharginggate, q, with the loading-gage D, made in two concentric sections, and each section provided with a handle and arranged to be operated independently of the other sec:

tion, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the canister E, having apertured bottom and an apertured dis charging-gate, said gate being made in two sections, each arranged to be operated independently of the other, with the loading-gage D, substantially as described.

9. The rammcr O, mounted on hinges (1, supported by sockets c on posts 2, having springs k, in combination with the shell-holder B, rammcr-operating lever i, and hooks j, the said rammcr having ear-lugs g, closing on other posts 1), having springs 70, substantially as described.

10. The hooks j, for operating the rammcr 0, connected to cross-head Z, and arranged in the slotted plates k and through table A, and having'inclines j and the springs o", in combination with rammcr O and the shell-holder B, substantially as described. 11. The gage guide-stop m, having arm 0, and being attached to disk G, in combination witha plate, (Z, and adjusting-disk H of the loading-gage, substantially as described.

12. The notched setting-gage h and pawl I, in combination with the adj listing-ring f and the disks G and H of the adjustable loader, substantially as described.

13. In a cartridge-loader, the stop-hinge (1, having one arm provided with a sleeve, 0, and its other arm with a curved piece, 1;", having slots 10, enlarged at one end, in combination with the rammcr-disk 0, provided with headed pins a", and the shell-holder B, substantially as described.

14. In a cartridgeloader, the combination, with the apertured disk G of the loading-gage D, having a notched and graduated scale, h, and the movable ring 1'', arranged upon the disk G, and provided with a pawl and with fixed pins, of the plate H, carrying tubes 0, and provided with downwardly projecting beveled plates d, substantially as described.

15. The combination, with the disk G, provided with a guide-stop, m 0, of the ring f and the disk H, having beveled plates d, one of said plates being provided with a stop, a, sub

stantially as described. 

